


I'm Better For Having Known You

by tasty0kitsune0brains



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types
Genre: Book/Movie: Prince Caspian, Caspian-centric, Edmund Pevensie-centric, Lucy and Susan are only mentioned really, POV Third Person Omniscient, Present Tense, accidentally a mix of both movie and book kind of, i dont know how to tag this, i sort of maybe mixed up the movie and book while writing, implied Caspian/Edmund, kind of, okay i think its heavily implied, please help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28977372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tasty0kitsune0brains/pseuds/tasty0kitsune0brains
Summary: Before the Telmarine army shows up, Caspian and Edmund sit atop Aslan's Howe and talk. Some of it serious, some of it not so much.
Relationships: Caspian & Edmund Pevensie
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	I'm Better For Having Known You

**Author's Note:**

> I was struck with the sudden inspiration to write this when part of what I wrote for Edmund's dialogue popped into my head out of nowhere. I'm currently juggling at least twenty writing projects, but I just had to write this. I spent, like, five or six hours total on it, I think. It isn't proofread, because I know if I proofread it, I'm just going to delete it. That's how I operate, so I often don't proofread my work until after I've posted it. Bad idea, probably, but I'd never post anything otherwise. Or finish anything, for that matter. I'm sorry.
> 
> Also, the title is kind of tentative. I know, weird, right? A one-shot with a tentative title? I'm just really bad with titles, but I feel like I can at least do better than THIS. If you have an idea, feel free to let me know. Or if you actually like this title, let me know too. Also please let me know how this should be tagged. I have no clue what I'm doing with tags, and I never have.
> 
> Anyhow, sorry for keeping you and rambling for so long. I might be stalling. I'll just let you get to the story.

It’s a beautiful day at Aslan’s Howe. A light breeze, just enough clouds to make sure the sun isn’t too bright, the sounds of laughter and birds chirping filling the air. One could almost forget the war looming on the horizon. The Pevensies and Caspian, along with some of their most trusted allies, have just finished conducting a war council. Now, Edmund sits atop the Howe, watching the Narnians play and goof off on the ground below. No doubt they are trying to keep occupied to avoid worrying about the impending carnage the Telmarine army will bring. Until their arrival, however, the Narnians are going to take advantage of the rare moment of peace.

Edmund is content to just watch them have fun. He couldn’t possibly be so carefree at a time like this, and he envies them for that. His brain never rests, always worrying and running through potential scenarios and outcomes. When he was a king, Edmund was the tactician. Peter was happy, perhaps anxious even, to just charge straight into battle, always full of zeal and passion for his country. But Edmund - he always planned everything, saw the potential downfalls and obstacles and knew how to avoid them or how to work them to their favor. Unfortunately, it is hard to get his brain to stop thinking that way, so he is constantly analyzing his situation and his surroundings. Even right now, he couldn’t stop thinking of ways to evacuate the Narnians should Miraz and his army suddenly show up right this moment.

Despite Edmund’s typical situational awareness, though, he is so caught up in potential escape plans that he doesn’t notice when Caspian sits down next to him. The young prince just watches Edmund think, the other boy’s brow furrowed, muttering as his eyes scan the treeline before flitting to the Narnians below, to the entrance of the Howe, and back to the trees. Caspian admires how Edmund always has a plan, and if he doesn’t, he’s making one. Smiling, Caspian sits back and waits for Edmund to notice him. After a few minutes, Caspian shakes his head with a light chuckle and says, “What has you thinking so hard?”

Edmund jumps and reflexively turns to punch the person who startled him. Luckily, Caspian has had enough experience already to see this coming and is able to grab Edmund’s fist before it makes contact with his face. Edmund’s eyes widen and his face reddens slightly when he sees it’s just Caspian. He immediately apologizes, “I’m so sorry, Caspian. I didn’t mean to hit you. Again. You just scared me. Why do you keep sneaking up on me?”

Chuckling, Caspian lets go of Edmund’s hand and replies, “It’s alright, Edmund. In my defense, I was sitting here for at least eight minutes. That hardly counts as sneaking up on you.”

Edmund groans, dropping his head into his hands. “Are you serious? I’m sorry I had you sitting there for so long.” He picks his head back up before asking, “Did you need something?”

Caspian shrugs. “Nothing in particular. I just thought you may want some company.”

Groaning again, Edmund throws himself backward and flings an arm over his eyes dramatically. “You came up here to keep me company, and I let you sit here, ignoring you, for more than eight minutes. Oh, my God. I’m sorry. I was just- ” Edmund stops and waves his hand as if to say,  _ You know. _

Laughing, Caspian finishes for him, “Thinking? Worrying? Plotting?”

Edmund sighs and says, “Yes.”

Caspian raises a brow and asks, “Which one?”

Fighting a smile, Edmund lifts his arm off his eyes slightly just long enough to look at Caspian as he replies, “Yes.”

Caspian laughs again, and there’s a brief pause before Edmund joins him. The two boys laugh together for a minute or two before composing themselves. They had tried during that time to compose themselves many times, but then they would make eye contact and start laughing again.

As the quiet settles over them, Caspian and Edmund look down below at the Narnians, still as carefree as before as Lucy tries to teach them how to play hot potato. At least, that’s what it looks like from up atop the Howe. Edmund can’t quite tell. Whatever it is, it looks rather funny from such a distance. He glances towards Caspian and sees the prince already looking at him.

“What?” Edmund asks, furrowing his brow.

Caspian clears his throat and shakes his head minutely, averting his gaze. “Nothing. It’s just - You don’t smile like that very often.” Edmund hadn’t realized he had been smiling at all.

Confused, he asks, “Like what?”

Caspian pauses for a moment before hesitantly answering, “Like… like there’s nothing worrying you. Your face looks so relaxed and peaceful, like you’ve forgotten all your worries. It’s rare for you to stop thinking. You almost never seem able to escape from your own mind, to get out of your head.” He stops briefly, looking up to meet Edmund’s eyes. The prince can’t quite read the former king’s expression, so he quickly clarifies, “Which isn’t a bad thing. To always be thinking, I mean. I like that you always think about everything. I mean, um. Well… I like seeing you relaxed and happy, is what I’m trying to say. Because you never really let yourself rest and you always seem stressed or worried.”

Edmund chuckles. “I understand what you mean, Caspian. I didn’t know you paid that close of attention.”

Caspian smiles before averting his eyes again, feeling a little awkward. They sit in silence for another few moments before Edmund says, “You know, when we first returned from Narnia, thousands of years ago from your perspective, I used to stay awake at night, hating that we came back. Every minute I regretted going on that hunting trip that brought us back to the wardrobe. Every second I thought about how badly I wanted to return. I didn’t feel like I had a place in England. I never really did, but after finding my place in Narnia, it was worse. I didn’t belong anywhere, and I didn’t get along with anyone but my siblings. I had been a king in Narnia, but I was just a silly schoolboy in England. It was difficult to adjust, especially since I didn’t want to.”

Edmund pauses briefly and looks up, making eye contact with Caspian. The former king smiles slightly as he continues. “But I’m glad now that we left Narnia. Even with all the pain I felt from the moment we tumbled out of the wardrobe to the moment we arrived on that beach from the train station, I wouldn’t change any of it. You know why? Because if we had stayed in Narnia, if it had played out any other way, I would never have met you, Caspian. Meeting you and spending time with you makes it all feel worth it, and I know I'm better for having met you.

"I don’t want to go back to England after this, even though I know I’ll have to. I wish I would never have to leave Narnia again, but I’m not so foolish as to get my hopes up. That’s why I cherish these moments with you. I hope I never forget them when I go back to England.” Edmund clears his throat and averts his eyes, adding, "Of course, that goes for the other Narnians as well."

Caspian smiles warmly, though Edmund can't see it. "Yes, of course," he says with subtle mirth that goes unnoticed by the technically older boy. After a brief moment of watching Edmund's sudden intense interest in the ground, Caspian leans back on his hands and says, "You know, I wish you didn't have to leave either." Edmund looks up with a hopeful, inquisitive expression that seems to say,  _ Really? _

Caspian nods, still smiling, and says, "I think I'm even better for having met you than you are for having met me. When I was younger, the Professor would read me stories about Old Narnia in secret. Before him, my Nurse would. But all those stories couldn't prepare me for the real thing. I was just a naïve child when I escaped my uncle, with no clue how to function in this strange new world, let alone lead an army to defend it. In a way, I think I blew the horn as a way out. Summon the old kings and queens and let them fight in my stead. But when I met you… When I met you, it was like all the courage I never thought I had suddenly burst out. I felt inspired, like I actually stood a chance leading an army against my uncle. For the first time in probably my whole life, I felt brave. It’s almost like I’ve become a completely different person in the short time you’ve been here.”

Edmund furrows his brow and says, “My siblings and I, you mean.”

“Pardon?”

“You keep saying ‘you’ and not ‘your siblings and you,’ but you do mean the four of us, don’t you?”

Caspian cocks his head slightly and smiles. “I think you know what I mean.”

The former king and the almost king sit side by side in comfortable silence for the next twenty or so minutes, smiles on their faces. As they watch the Narnians below teach Lucy and Susan a new Narnian game, both boys occasionally steal a glance at the other when he thinks he isn’t watching, though they both notice every glance. They happily sit like that until Lucy finally looks up and waves at them, yelling for the boys to come down and join them. Peaceful spell broken, the boys grin at each other and race down. (They both claim to have won, but Lucy, when asked, said it was a tie. It was all in good fun anyway, and no one really cared.)

Although he doesn’t realize it and won’t for quite some time, Edmund’s mind had been at peace since he saw Caspian sitting next to him. His constantly running brain had stilled the moment his gaze met the young prince’s. He wouldn’t realize why Caspian had the ability to calm his mind like that either for even longer still. For now, he’ll just enjoy the limited time he has with the future king.

**Author's Note:**

> That'll do it.
> 
> Let me know if you liked this one-shot. There are more to come eventually when I stop procrastinating, and when I finish some of my other writing projects (or at least catch up on them). I have a lot of ideas, so maybe consider following me (or whatever it's called) if you'd like to read more of my works when I eventually post them. (But maybe don't do that if you don't like the other fandoms I write for. I don't write exclusively for Narnia and/or similar works/fandoms.)
> 
> If you didn't like this one-shot, make sure you let me know that too. I cherish and crave criticism. Hopefully constructive criticism, but I'll take what I can get. And even if you liked it, let me know of any possible critiques. Always room for improvement.
> 
> Anyhow, thank you very much for reading. Have a great day/night/afternoon/evening and stay safe, children!


End file.
